Asit K. Biswas

Changing Global Water Management Landscape

In the sixteenth century, the eminent Renaissance scholar Leonardo Da Vinci said that water is the driver of nature. During his lifetime, some may have considered this to be an overstatement, but some half a millennium later, Leonardo’s understanding of the role, relevance and importance of water to society and nature can be considered to have been prophetic. Water is increasingly considered to be the lifeblood of the planet and, at present, it will certainly not be an overstatement to claim that without efficient water management, the future social and economic development of the world would be seriously constrained, or even significantly jeopardised. Both developed and developing countries will require implementation of more and more efficient water management policies and practices in terms of both quantity and quality. However, developing countries will need to improve their water management practices and processes much more than developed countries, especially as the current practices of the former have significant potential for improvement. As the human population has grown, the global food requirements have increased as well and with it the requirement to water needed to produce the necessary food. At present, most of the global water use is accounted for by the agricultural sector, estimated at about 70%. Historically, water–food interrelationships have always been important. However, in recent years, these linkages have become more and more complex because of national and international politics, social and environmental considerations, different forms and levels of subsidies and tariffs applied to food products in different countries, globalisation, free trade, changing standards of living, institutional and legal requirements, technological developments and management practices.

Impacts of megaconferences on the water sector

PART I: Global Considerations.- 1. Impacts of Large Dams: Issues, Opportunities and Constraints.- 2. Indirect Economic Impacts of Dams.- 3. Resettlement Outcomes of Large Dams.- 4. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Reservoirs.- PART II: Case Studies.- 5. Impacts of Dams in Switzerland.- 6. Dams and Resettlement in Argentina.- 7. Impacts of Sobradinho Dam, Brazil.- 8. The Ataturk Dam and the Southeastern Anatolia (GAP) Project, Turkey.- 9. Impacts of King River Power Development, Australia.- 10. Resettlement in China.- 11. Large Dams that Command Beijings Heights.- 12. Resettlement due to Sardar Sarovar Dam, India.- 13. Impacts of Kangsabati Project, India.- 14. Regional and National Impacts of Bhakra-Nangal Project, India.- 15. Impacts of Koyna Dam, India.- 16. Resettlement and Rehabilitation: Lesson from India.- 17. Impacts of High Aswan Dam, Egypt.- Index

Environmental Management of Water Resources in Mexico

ABSTRACT The environment has been receiving high priority in Mexico in recent years. The country however is presently facing numerous environmental problems. These problems are already severe, and the financial and human resources available are limited. While a good beginning has been made, much more remains to be done.

Water, Wastewater, and Environmental Security Problems: A Case Study of Mexico City and the Mezquital Valley

ABSTRACT Increasing social tensions and conflicts can now be observed due to growing water scarcities and higher wastewater discharges in many parts of the world. These conflicts can be analyzed in two ways. First, a social conflict can be responsible for creating water scarcity by reducing accessibility, destroying water systems, and reducing water availability. Second, water resources scarcity, both in terms of quantity and quality, can often be the cause of conflicts in a society. The article focuses on the second type of conflict by analyzing several examples from Mexico: especially conflicts that have been generated by the use of the wastewaters of Mexico City for irrigation in the Mezquital Valley since 1912.

Development of a Framework for Water Quality Monitoring in Mexico

ABSTRACT An attempt is being made in Mexico to develop a water quality monitoring framework that is cost-effective, reliable, accessible, and one that would actually be extensively used by the potential users. The article analyzes the experiences from other developing countries, where the overall usability of the system leaves much to be desired, outlines the essential requirements of a functional monitoring system, critical monitoring issues that should be considered, and the process recommended for developing efficient water quality monitoring in Mexico.

Water management and climate change : dealing with uncertainties

1. Introduction 2. Adapting to climate change: towards societal water security in dry-climate countries 3. Australian water policy in a climate change context: some reflections 4. Characterizing the water extremes of the new century in the US South-west: a comprehensive assessment from state-of-the-art climate model projections 5. Impacts of climate change on the hydrological cycle in Mexico 6. Climate change projections of streamflow in the Iberian peninsula 7. Downscaled climate change projections over Spain: application to water resources 8. The application of hydrological planning as a climate change adaptation tool in the Ebro basin 9. Measures against climate change and its impacts on water resources in Greece 10. Water and disasters: a review and analysis of policy aspects 11. Managing drought risk in water supply systems in Europe: a review

Water quality management : present situations, challenges and future perspectives

Foreword: Water Quality, the Challenge of the Future 1. Water Quality Management: An Introductory Framework 2. Water-A Reflection of Land Use: Understanding of Water Pathways and Quality Genesis 3. Impact of Agriculture on Water Pollution in OECD Countries: Recent Trends and Future Prospects 4. Regulating Nonpoint Source Water Pollution in a Federal Government: Four Case Studies 5. Introduction to Environmental and Economic Consequences of Hypoxia 6. Financing Water Quality Management 7. Water Governance in Aragon 8. Water Management in the Ebro River Basin: An Approach to the 2010-15 Hydrological Plan 9. Water Quality in Zaragoza 10. Water Quality Management in China: The Case of the Huai River Basin 11. Water Quality Management in Egypt 12. A New Mindset for Integrated Water Quality Management for South Africa 13. Water Quality and Health in Poor Urban Areas of Latin America 14. Conceptual Framework for Protecting Groundwater Quality 15. Evolution of Water Management in Mexico 16. Agriculture and Water Pollution: Farmers Perceptions in Central Mexico